TRR photo by Tom Kane Peace demonstrators from the Upper Delaware region joined with others on the Washington Mall to protest President Bush’s plans for war with Iraq. (Click for larger image)

Valley residents join thousands in DC

By TOM KANE

WASHINGTON, DC. —Thousands of people teemed onto the mall and marched down the streets of Washington, D.C. last Saturday, January 18, protesting the Bush administration’s determination to wage a war with Iraq. One hundred and eighty-eight residents of the Upper Delaware Valley joined the reported 200,000 strong crowd.

Buses carrying residents of Sullivan and Wayne Counties and Scranton, PA left the Callicoon Creek Park and Honesdale at 4:00 a.m. and 4:30 a.m., respectively, Saturday morning. Arriving in Washington, D.C. at 10:30 a.m., the demonstration was in full swing.

The Delaware Valley/Scranton contingent’s participation was the work of Wayne Peace, a group of Wayne and Sullivan County residents, who have been gathering every Friday evening to protest the potential conflict. They were assisted by a similar group, based solely in Sullivan County, named Sullivan Peace.

“We feel we must take a stand and speak out in opposition to those of our elected officials who have given their assent to a pre-emptive war with Iraq,” said Kathy Dodge, one of Wayne Peace organizers.

“We love our country but we differ with our administration,” said Callicoon resident Joey DiPane.

“This war was announced a year ago after September 11,” said Karen DiPane, one of the organizers of the Upper Delaware buses.

The DiPanes said that a connection between the September 11 attacks and Iraq had not been proven.

Speakers from a wide range of organizations like labor unions, civil rights groups, feminist groups, and individuals with no affiliation berated President Bush and his advisors.

“I’m not with any group,” said Mona Inwood from Lynn, MA. “I came because I feel so frustrated and helpless. This, at least, was something that I can do.”

Most notable in the crowd was the large number of older people and college-aged people.

Some of the speakers were Jesse Jackson, actresses Jessica Lange and Tyne Daley, Ramsay Clark, Congressman Charles Rangel and representatives of the demonstration’s organizers International Answer.

Clark, a former U.S. Attorney General, called for the impeachment of the president.

Signs were abundant and expressed sentiments of: “No more blood for oil,” “I will not be silent,” “Soccer Coach for Peace,” and “Money for schools, not war.”

The crowd, which huddled together to brave the bitter cold, filled the mall for six blocks west of the Capitol building.

	TRR photo by Tom Kane Demonstrators from area counties, including the members of Sullivan Peace pictured above, gathered in Washington, D.C. to rally in the Washington Mall. (Click for larger image)

Standing in the crowd was Ralph Nader, presidential candidate of the Green Party in the last election.

“North Korea represents a far more dangerous threat to our security than Iraq,” Nader told TRR. “This war is clearly about oil. If Iraq was selling broccoli, we wouldn’t even know that they existed. This threat of war shows the difference between Middle East policy and Far East policy. In the Far East, we use diplomacy. In the Middle East, we use confrontation and, again, the reason being oil.”

There were very few dissenters along the march route. One small group along Independence Avenue held up a sign that said, ”Hyppies, Go Home!”

The sign was greeted with laughter.

Washington police, who no longer give estimates of crowds at mall demonstrations, did estimate that 30,000 marched through the city after the mall demonstration. International Answer said the whole crowd numbered around 200,000.

International Answer is planning another large demonstration in New York City on February 15. More information is available at www.unitedforpeace.org.